I lift my PA by the rear handle to get in onto the tailgate of my truck for transporting. It's heavy and awkward to use just the rear handle so I added and additional handle to assist me. Sure would be nice if Hobie added and additional handle or and indented rear grip.

It's true, Hobie's warranty does not cover "damage by alterations or modifications", but it does cover "defects in material and workmanship". Fortunately one does not necessarily affect the other.

It's a good point though -- a lot of users wonder if making a modification (installing a ram mount for instance) voids the warranty. It doesn't, as long as the ram mount doesn't cause a failure. Many Hobie accessories require modification to the hull, such as Sidekicks. Often, modifications are installed by the Hobie dealers -- doesn't matter.

As for the grips, I've been using them for a couple of years now and find them to be very useful and problem free.